Self-clamping rail-hook.



R. L. SPROUSE.

SELF CLAMPING RAIL HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.27. I917.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

J W I I lllllllllllmv l-lll IIIII' IIWWWIWI R..L. SPRousE N SIM ROBERT L. SPROUSE, 0F FIRECO, WEST VIRGINIA.

SELF-CLAMPIN G RAIL-HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application filed December 27, 1917. Serial No. 209,064.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, ROBERT L. Srnonsn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fireco, in the county of Raleigh, State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Self-Clamping Rail-Hook; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a device for pulling or dragging rails from place to place, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby it can be readily placed in engagement with a rail or removed therefrom without the use of any tools or special fastening members, and which will be maintained in a firm engagement with the rail as long as a pull is exerted thereon for the purpose of dragging the rail.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a rail dragging device which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which can be easily carried from place to place, and which can be used to advantage in mines and similar places where it is necessary to shift the positions of the rails at frequent intervals of time.

With these and other objects in view, the

' invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of'the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail dragging device constructed in accordance with the invention, showing the same as applied to the end of a rail.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, parts being broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device, the draw bars being swung apart and parts being broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the device, showing the reverse side from that shown by Fig. 1, the manner of manipulating the slotted draw bar when placing the device to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates the end of a conven-. tional rail, said rail having an opening 2 in the web thereof. The rail dragging device includes a pair of complemental draw bars 3 and 4 which fit into the fishing spaces on opposite sides of the rail and are connected at their outer end by flexible members such as the branch chains 5 to a main draftmember or chain 6 to which force is applied for pulling or dragging the rail to the desired position. The free end of the draw bar 3 is slotted at 7 and provided with an outwardly projecting knuckle 8 having a finger 9 pivotally connected thereto by means of a pivot pin 10. This finger 9 operates within the notch or slot 7 and is adapted to be inserted through the opening 2 of the rail and a slotted opening 11 in the opposite draw bar 4. The extremity of the finger 9 is curved laterally at 9*, the said curved or hooked end being preferably arranged at an inclination to the longitudinal axis of the draw bar. The draw bar 4 is slightly longer than the draw bar 3 and the slot- 11 is disposed in such a manner that the finger 9 will be swung into engagement with the outer end thereof, as indicated by Fig. 2 when a pull is exerted upon the main rail 6 for the purpose of dragging the rail. The hooked end 9 of the finger then serves to lock the draw bars in position, and it is impossible for the draw bars to become disengaged from the rails as long as the device is under tension. After the device has been fitted to the rail in this manner force can be applied to the main chain 6 for the purpose of pulling or dragging the rail from place to place. After the rail has been properly positioned, and it is desired to disengage the device therefrom, the chains are permitted to become slack, whereupon the draw bar 4 can be moved rearwardly relative to the draw bar 3 a suflicient amount to bring the finger 9 into the opposite end of the slot 11. The draw bar 4 may then be swung upwardly into an angular position to bring the slot 11 into 'alinement with the hooked end 9 of the finger 9, as indicated by dotted lines on Fig. 4, and disengaged from the finger 9 and the latter withdrawn from the opening of the rail.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, -is: a r

1. A rail dragging device, including a pair of straight fl-itbGOlllPlGlHG-llliitl draw bars adapted to be fitted against opposite sides of a rail in a substantially parallel relation to each other, a main draft member, flexible bra n'c'h nein'bers connecting the draw bars in one end thereof to the main draft members, the free end of one of the draw bars having an opening therein, and a finger pivotally connected to the free end of the other draw bar and adaptedto pass through an opening in the rail, the extremity of the finger being hooked to engage and be held in an interlocking engagement with the opening of the first mentioned draw bar by the tension in the draft member when the device is in operation.

2} A rail dragging device, including a pair of fiat straight coniplemental draw bars adapted to be applied to opposite sides of a rail in a substantially parallel relation to each other, a main draft member, flexible branch members connecting the draw bars at one end thereof to the main draft memher, the free end of one of the draw bars being provided with a longitudinal slot,and

name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT L. SPR'OUSE.

Witnesses: 7'

G. A. TRACY, Lows VEID.

' fiopies .ef this patent may the vobtained for five cents each, Joy addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

